New to Forums, Greetings from MT, Lots of Questions

[chapulincolorado]

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new to this homebrew thing having only made about 20 gallons of wine/mead total. I started by watching YouTube tutorials and following recipes in old homebrewer's books. I'm not very savvy when it comes to the more technical side of wine making but I can follow a recipe like there's no tomorrow. As of late I've been trying to expand my knowledge in wine making, trying to occasionally break away from following a recipe and using fruits other than grapes. Of the last few gallons of wine I've made at home without a recipe, I've gotten okay responses from friends and family who have tried it. Despite this, a couple questions have come up on my end regarding the process:

• Why do all my, "wines" taste similar despite using different fruit? Does it have to do with water quality, the type of yeast, or something else entirely?
• How can I achieve more complex/fuller bodied flavor profiles in my fruit wines?
• How can I get a higher ending ABV? Most of my finished fruit wines that aren't from a previously established recipe reach around 10% ABV and have some/little residual sugar
• How long on average should I let homemade wine age, if at all?
• When is it recommended to let homemade wine age?
• How do I get started with effectively using yeast nutrients in my fruit wines?
• Is there any helpful beginner/intermediate/advanced learning material I should be reading or looking into?

Lastly, I'm new to posting in forums so I'm not sure if this is the proper way to ask these questions or if this post is too long winded. My apologies if this isn't how forums are meant to be used. I'd appreciate some help with answering these questions. I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can and being a part of this community. Thanks!

 

[Jovimaple]

Welcome to WMT!

You can browse through the beginners forum - lots of questions answered there.

Posting your recipe before starting is often a good way to get advice and tweaks up front. And of course posting your questions along the way can help, too!

Most wines benefit from at least a few months aging. The exception would be Skeeter Pee / Dragonblood - those are designed to be quick drinkers although I have found they get a lot smoother after a few months to a year of aging. Lots of posts on those 2 here on the forum.

Different yeasts will bring out different characteristics. You can google the manufacturer info to see what characteristics each yeast is known for.

Grapes have more of the nutrients yeast have been bred to need to do the job of making alcohol; other fruits often need a boost of nutrient to keep the yeast happy as they work. Stressed yeast can create "off" flavors. Again, the nutrient manufacturers have info on dosage.

There are lots of discussions about yeast types and nutrient regimens here on the forum, too.

Good luck and enjoy the journey to honing your fermenting craft!!

 

[ChuckD]

I would add that many recipes are light on the fruit. If you want to taste the fruit add more of it to your must and less water. I, for instance made a rhubarb wine from 100% pressed juice and there is no mistaking the rhubarb taste.

If you want higher alcohol you need to add sugar to reach the target alcohol content (specific gravity). Do you have a hydrometer? It’s the most important tool you have to determine the alcohol content and track fermentation progress.

 

[Rocky]

@chapulincolorado, to get more flavor or a special flavor, I have used fruit extracts successfully. For example, in Riesling, I like a "green apple" background taste so I have added green apple extract on occasion.

Extracts are normally natural flavors in an alcohol base and are available in just about any fruit. The caution is to "bench test" your amount of extract. They are very concentrated and a little (a few drops) goes a long way.

Good luck with your wines and welcome to the forum.

 

[winemaker81]

Welcome to WMT!

These post may answer a lot of your initial questions, but will certainly cause you to realize you have more questions:

https://wine.bkfazekas.com/basic-winemaking-process/

https://wine.bkfazekas.com/fixing-fruit-wine-recipes/

 

[chapulincolorado]

I appreciate all the help from you guys, looking forward to trying out all the suggestions and learning as much as I can! Thanks for the warm welcome!

 

[Christopher Anderson]

Welcome to WMT. You will be inundated with lots of ideas. And none of them are wrong. I have been on this forum for less than a year and have learned many things.

 

[BigDaveK]

Welcome to the forum!

For more flavor, as mentioned, more fruit. For most I use a minimum of 6 lbs / gallon. Complex flavor, combine fruits. And possibly use juice instead of water. Some water is usually unavoidable but there's always a voice reminding me "Water is for soup and stew."

I've collected quite a few books. For a beginner I would suggest "The Joy of Home Winemaking" by Terry Garey and also "First Steps in Winemaking" by CJJ Berry. Check Ebay. You can get used copies in excellent condition dirt cheap.

Have fun and good luck!